News and Analysis

The Current State of Google Maps — Fake News, Fake Reviews

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“It’s incredible to me that given all of Google’s focus on new local products that they are still getting some of the basics wrong,” Mike Blumenthal tells David Mihm. “People who rely on Google more and more to find local businesses need to know that the fundamental metric of the business quality, reviews, is fair and well policed.”

Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk — There’s a ‘Mode’ for That

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Drunk Mode is an app that helps users navigate their inebriation — and avoid making embarrassing calls at 2 am. (I’m looking at you every 22-year-old.) CEO Josh Anton, who will be speaking at Street Fight Summit, developed his suite of location-based apps after getting one of those late-night phone calls from a friend.

Street Fight Daily: Snap Loses Ground to Instagram, Lyft and Waymo Partner Up on Self-Driving Cars

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Snap Installs Fall 16% As Instagram Pulls Further Ahead… Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars… What is Digital Transformation, and What Does It Require?…

Latest Posts

7 Customer Loyalty Options for Merchants and Brands

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These hyperlocal solutions provide all the benefits of traditional loyalty programs, without requiring local merchants to handle the management and configuration of complicated systems. Rather than relying on punch cards and key-fobs, most of these programs almost universally rely on a device that 44% of Americans have already — the smartphone. Here are seven examples of platforms that can help businesses improve customer retention and promote loyalty.

Street Fight Daily: 02.21.12

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups.

Google Launches a Leaderboard for Check-Ins, But Foursquare Has Been Here Before (BetaBeat)…

A Customer Loyalty Program (From Some of the Folks Who Brought You Groupon) (New York Times)…

Supporting Profitable News (BuzzMachine)…

The Legal Implications of Turning Advertisers Into Content Makers

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“Advertising is content — the only new content that really matters,” consultant Terry Heaton declared in a recent blog post. Incorporating content created by local merchants, perhaps in the form of advertorials or “guest columnists,” however, can be a fraught process…

Street Fight Daily: 02.20.12

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups...

Groupon Buys Hyperpublic, a Local Data Start-Up (New York Times)…

What Yelp’s IPO Means About the Future of Crowdsourced Media (GigaOm)…

Why LivingSocial Lost $558 Million Last Year (Business Insider)…

The 2012 Election Goes Hyperlocal With Targeted Online Ad Buys

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Online advertising for the 2012 election is all about “addressability,” says Jordan Lieberman, managing director of Campaign Grid, which bills itself as “the online advertising platform for campaigns and causes.” Street Fight spoke with Lieberman about what kinds of online ad buys we can expect to see from the parties in the coming months…

Local Quotables: Rafer, Duggan, Pincus and more

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The best words about and around the hyperlocal industry.

Lumatic’s Scott Rafer wants to revolutionize mobile map-technology; Kris Duggan of Badgevile critiques Foursquare’s signature “mayor” status as driving away users; Pincus wants to bring “play” into the mainstream; and more:

PODCAST: This Week in Location-Based Marketing — Klout, Syzzle.me

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n this week’s episode, hosts Rob Woodbridge and Asif Khan highlight British Petroleum’s innovative use of Navteq to drive (literally) gas sales; Dwolla closes cash; and Groupon makes a buy. Scott Rankine also talks up the yet-to-be released Syzzle.me…

Street Fight Daily: 02.17.12

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups...

Yelp Expects Its IPO to Price at $12 to $14 Per Share (New York Times)…

Glassmap and Highlight Take on the Next Frontier of Location Sharing: Doing It All the Time (AllThingsD)…

Mason: Groupon To Begin Offering Deal Personalization Abroad Later This Quarter (TechCrunch)…

LevelUp Expands to 4 More Cities, Doubling Footprint

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The mobile payment and loyalty app launched in four new markets today, expanding significantly a little over three months after leaving Beta. The app, a sibling of location-based social discovery app SCVNGR, is now available in Seattle, San Diego, Chicago, and Atlanta, in addition to its launch markets of Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and San Fransisco…

For Growing Hyperlocals, Investing in Better Tech May Beat Staffing Up

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Technology that exploits social media can lead to better content and more engaged users, and can open the way to new advertisers and sponsorship. It is also less expensive than hiring new reporters and editors to bolster your lineup…